Jailed Istanbul Mayor İmamoğlu Faces Mass Corruption Trial

Ekrem İmamoğlu, the former mayor of Istanbul and prominent opposition figure, appeared in court to face sweeping corruption and organized crime charges alongside more than 400 co-defendants, with prosecutors seeking a potential sentence exceeding 2,000 years. Rights groups, including Amnesty International, criticized the nearly 4,000-page indictment as politically motivated and reliant on secret witnesses, raising serious fair trial concerns. The heavily secured hearing near Silivri Prison saw courtroom tensions, restrictions on public demonstrations, and references to widespread protests and arrests since his detention, underscoring a broader political struggle in Turkey.